The addition of the skills testing may be a contributing factor. However, I feel there is a general decline in TOPS testing participants over the past few years. The year before my daughter participated, there were over 5,000 testing at the state level. The year my daughter tested, if I recall correctly, there were close to 4,000. The second year she tested, there were only 2,700. At our gym, while the HC picked and chose only some gymnasts, 80% of the ones she chose should not have even tested. Many could barely do one press to handstand, hold a handstand for more than 10 seconds, climb a rope etc. I could not figure out what the coach was thinking. But maybe since she was taking a couple that had a chance, why not take more? Maybe in this day and age, with the economy, parents are more discriminate with their spending. Skills are getting harder and harder and maybe coaches are realizing the elite path is truly for the elite. Hence, there is no benefit of getting exposure to the national staff if elite is not a distinct possibility.
....why do most pass? Skills, money, time?
Anywho...just thinking it all through!
First, most do NOT pass. Out of the thousands that test roughly 280 make it to national testing. And out of the. 280, roughly 60 make the A team. Those that make the A team are usually competing higher levels already. My experience talking to the parent at the ranch is many are homeshooled or modified school schedules, and train upwards of 30 hours. The top testers are already doing elite track hours.
if I recall from your videos, your daughter looks like she could make the team. She is very talented. Good luck and have fun with it.
